Nearly 30 percent of teens already have hearing damage
A new study shows that nearly 30 percent of teenagers have experienced tinnitus, or the perception of ringing in the ears, due to prolonged use of portable digital music players and attending shows – primarily electronic music festivals – without wearing earplugs.
The World Health Organization claims that 1.1 billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing damage, pointing to smartphones as the main culprit. Repeated exposure to sound levels over 85 decibels can lead to hearing loss, with permanent damage occurring in just minutes. “You [once] had a Walkman with two AA batteries and headphone thongs that went over your ears,” says Dr. Cherukuri, an ear, nose and throat specialist. “At high volume, the sound was so distorted and the battery life was poor. Nowadays we have smartphones that are extremely complex computers with high-level fidelity.”
To help prevent hearing loss, teens are urged to keep the volume on their smartphones at under 60 percent, and to only listen to music with earbuds for up to 60 minutes per day. Before heading out to live music events, remember to protect your ears with quality earplugs like DUBS Acoustic Filters.
Via: NBC News
Categories: Music